File prayers of pleas pending before SC on Art 370

The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to file the prayers of petitions pending in Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of Article 370 that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The court’s direction came on a similar PIL filed before it challenging the constitutional validity of Article 370 after the Centre submitted that two writ petitions on similar issues are pending before the Supreme Court.

“Additional Solicitor General (ASG) submits that two similar writ petitions are pending before Supreme Court. He is directed to file the prayers made in the said writ petitions,” a bench Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.

During the brief hearing on a petition, the bench asked the counsel for the petitioner whether Jammu and Kashmir High Court has passed any order in this regard.

The counsel for the petitioner — 22-year-old girl Kumari Vijayalakshmi Jha — replied in affirmative but argued that Jammu and Kashmir High Court has no jurisdiction to decide the issue.

“If you are aggrieved by Jammu and Kashmir High Court order, then you should have challenged the order,” the bench said.

The bench after recording the submission of ASG Sanjay Jain that the Supreme Court is also seized of the matter, dismissed the plea.

Counsels for petitioner then protested the dismissal of their plea and submitted that in those petitions before apex court, the prayers and relief sought are different.